Technical literacy as a command responsibility

A commander did not need the engineer's ability to repair machinery, but did need enough technical understanding to judge warnings, allocate help, and make sound operational choices. Without that literacy, a commanding officer could miss signs that a technical department was in trouble or misunderstand what support its specialists required. Fisher's preference for HMS Renown, a less powerful but faster battleship already trained to his requirements, illustrates the value he placed on knowing how a ship operated. Sailing officers had understood their rig and navigation, and steam-era commanders likewise needed a working knowledge of machinery. The reform treated engineering knowledge as part of naval leadership while leaving repairs to the trained specialists.